by Dr. K. L. Kamat
First Online: August 15, 1997
Last Updated: December 31, 2014

Bhatkal is a small town (locate)
on the west-coast highway along the Arabian sea in the state of Karnataka. Historically, it was an important port and played a
vital role in trade during the glory days of Vijayanagara empire. The Saraswats (locally
known as Konkanis) who patronized the coastal trade and
amassed a lot of wealth used it for philanthropic work and temple
constructions. Santappa Nayak, who traded in forces from Arabia, purchased a piece of land
from the local government and constructed the Tirumala temple in 1555 A.D. Petty trades of
areca-nut were donated liberally for erecting the Adike Narayan Temple. Two brothers, Bala
Kini and Narayan Kini built the Raghunatha Temple in 1567 A.D. In the same year,
Lakkarsa Kamat constructed the Lakshmi Narayan Temple. The erotic sculptures have a lion's
share in Khetappayya Narayan Temple built in 1546 A.D. Most of the temples built are in
hard granite stones and overlaid with copper plates or stone slabs. Each temple consists
of "Garbha-Griha" (sanctum), and a "Sukhanasi" which is
surrounded by stone blinds.

For a lack of better term in English, the word
Kama is roughly translated as erotica. The reader is encouraged to read Kamat's introduction to this series.

The Khetappayya Narayan Temple

The Khetappayya
Narayan temple is encircled by huge corridors, inner walls are decorated with panels
depicting the social life of the period. Each panel measures about 4 X 3 ' and are located
in separate niches. Inter-nitch spaces are decorated with floral designs. It is of
importance and interest that all men and women are depicted in their contemporary dresses
and ornaments. The nobles are shown with kulavi,
an elongated cap, typical Vijayanagar period head wear. They have long sleeved shirts
and fine dhotis which have a great resemblance to the saris worn by the women of
the times. The common men have their turbans and a just a piece of coarse cloth around
their waists. The women have very prominent hair ball tied just behind the head. A single
piece of sari covers entire feminine body. The ornaments are very simple and down to the
earth.

Medieval Social Life ?

The successive panels are not inter-related. The panels on erotica are inter-mixed that
depict social life. Each panel is like a framed photograph of sixteenth century "Every
Day Life". (see also: excerpts from Social
life in Medieval Karnataka) Thus the sculptors have successfully recorded intimate
personal lives of the people of that era for the benefit of posterity. Different panels
could be very profitably studied in order to trace initiation to logical conclusion of
erotic activities. It is generally believed in India that there is no need for teaching,
coaching, or classroom for performing sexual activities. It comes naturally by observation
and experimentation. This philosophy has been successfully depicted in these panels. An
young woman who has attained age of puberty sits on the outer veranda of her house and
wonders at the wheel-barrow game of the male and female street dogs. Near by in a
specially provided platform a domesticated parrot is busy feeding on ripe fruit,
unmindfully what is going on around. The lady's repeated such observations sure to kindle
erotic desires in her.

Seduction

Physical vicinity and contact are two important factors which trigger erotic desires. In
one of the panels a youthful lady is engrossed in churning curds in order to extract
maximum butter out of it. Her standing posture, body curvatures and vigorous movements
stimulates sexual desires in a man who is continuously observing from behind. In another
situation a romantic man happens to track down a glamorous lady engrossed in her toilet.
As she keeps on decorating her curvaceous body parts, one after the other, he gets more
and more erotically provoked. Very soon a stage is reached when he is not able to refrain
any more and hence indulges in self gratification. In an unusual panel a young lady is
relaxing on cot, with her head resting on a pillow. A man younger to her volunteers to
massage her tired body. Once he gets her consent, he commences working on her legs, then
thighs. If she does not exhibits any resistance he might proceed to massage her vital
organs as well! A sweet loving lady engrossed in cleaning utensils attracts attention of a
man who could not refrain from the temptation and makes a hasty entry into her from rear.

There are several panels which indicate that very intimate
moments are prerequisite to kindle sexual desires. "A couple on a swing" is an
interesting study. While swinging themselves merrily their bodies are shown in very
intimate contact with each other. They have crossed their sensitive thighs, the
lady has extended her right arm on man's shoulders while the man's left arm fondles her
breast. In "Talking only no action" panel, the couple is relaxing on a mattress,
the man pretending as if is explaining a point coolly contacts her thigh with his left
leg. The lady reciprocate his moves by her willingness gestures. In "Love me more,
dear" panel a man and his woman, sitting on a cot are indulging in caressing
each other. An attendee, caring a dagger in his hand offers the "drinks" to the
lovers. In "Don't worry, I am here" panel, an aroused woman indulges herself in
masturbation, while a man next to her depicted as if he says, "Don't worry I can
perform all actions that your body in need". In "I'm ever willing and
ready" a mans refrains from making advances towards his woman who is busy in her vanity.

Positions and Details

There are number of panels which depict different stages, positions and stages of coitus.
A warrior who was about to leave for war front was coaxed by his mistress to have sex with
her. The couple is shown on soft mattress spread over and wooden cot and are in the
process of physically stimulating each other. An young couple is having the sex in
standing position. He has clasped her firmly by entangling her waist by his right foot. He
has engaged himself in kissing her lips, fondling her breasts and insertion in her
genitalia. Another couple is shown in a "wheelbarrow" position. Her belly
pressed to the ground, she holds his hair ball for grip, kisses him passionately.

Author Krishnanand Kamat feels that the erotic arts of India are excessively
sensationalized without studying their artistic merits.

He
holds her legs either side of his belly in order to insert and act very smoothly. It seems
even the ascetics could not refrain from attraction of feminine body. In one such panel
two sexually aroused and totally nude saints are courting a maiden. She is well-built and
very strong compared to her seeker. The child birth has also been found among these panels
as it is the natural culmination of all these erotic activities. In sculpture a lady
seated on a cushioned platform is in labor. The two attending women are trying to soothe
her pain and console her. A young nurse sitting on the ground welcomes the child out of
its mother's womb. The sculptor has taken special care to show all the details in the
panels. Some are detailed enough to show the lady's clitoris.

Sex and Cruelty

Based on these temple sculptures, it seems that sexual crimes were abundant in medieval
times. Many panels depict extra marital sex and adultery. In an unusual panel, a worrier
husband is about to punish his wife's paramour after catching them in a sexual act. The
wife rushes to her lover's rescue and pleads that it is she who is guilty and not her
lover. In a similar situation another husband catches his wife by her hair and ruthlessly
kicks her naked body. In another panel a husband has tied his lady's both hands with rope
and is continuously spanking her with a cane.